Monday, 31 March 2014

Feasturing' the Seventh Fairway

15th February 2014

So a tall and handsome Groom Luke was to escort his bride Aylwen up the seventhth fairway, in his first ever set of wheels, a series one Landrover, complete with rust dints and retired curves. The Goolwa golf course appreciated the gesture, as did wedding guests from near and far. As they chugged across the drought acquainted green I had my moment of presence in the celebration, sighing and leaning admiringly with a little fuzzy feeling that wasn't the Bird in Hand sparkling Pinot Chardonnay.

The soon to be wedded ones were spotted in work wear of tired garments, mere hours before the isle walk - pottering in and around the marque that could have swayed with their incredible creativity. Considerate name tags, honey pots, straw bales, worn pallets, wine barrels for bottled beverages... Lighting that turned the sun's sleeping hours into a carnival of glow for dance, intimacy, mystery and fun.

Aylwen smiled calmly as her dedicated flower arranging friends and family did their best with sunflowers from the florest that were supposed to grow to be natives for their special day. Patience indeed.

The soon to be in black and off white persisted and created, as the weather gasped undesirable exhalations around umbrellas, marques and straw. The meandering down the isle at Basham's Beach, Middleton summoned them away from their masterpiece setting for a reception. A place where one's eyes could film in crackling shades of brown and grey with a harmonic clicking camera tempo and the distant whinny of horses and wedding bells.

Simon Burr arrived with the impressiveness of his catering trailor transformer, fit with a wood fired oven, electrical and water cables and the knack to be able to unfold in challenging function locations to perform as a commercial kitchen. Staff to assist the preparation and service of the wedding feast of the evening tiered into the kitchen marque to lend knives, hands and muscle to develop the canapas, two course and buffet dessert for 150 people. Porcini, parsley and parmesan Arrancini, prosciutto rolled king prawns, rustic chorizo, bean and thyme stew, pesto stuffed button mushroom, lamb kofta, falafel eggplant, flat bread with 'Oasis EVOO' of 13' that Simon was able to assist harvest and pressing. Lots of grazing fare for gradual injections of energy for the many that worked that dance floor like it was its last.

The man of recycling, wonderful wood work, path mowing and guarding the venue is Kallan. Aylwen's Father sculpted a path for walking, later staggering, lined with garden lights at foot height. The arriving party smiled there way onto the converted golf green to greet champaign and a selection of beer for champions - Vale Ale, Squires and Boags among them.

The spectacularly stark white of the marque, canapas plates and waitress blouses danced behind gradually brimming flutes of bubbles, amber bottles of yeasty goodness and eyes alight with delight for the loved one's day of fusion. The euphoria on the seventh fairway, stemming from the celebration of Luke and Aylwen finding each other in the world of warmth and hazy noise. A day of a contagious nature. Tears swelling in fellow humans, even strangers of the Bride and Groom.

Functions of food, wine, flare and setting can be notorious for drama. As variables out of balance don't work to create harmony and pleasure in the event. An Aylwen and Luke kind of drama notorious gathering is the exception of such a rule. With their loved ones around them adding a feather of faith in the love of people - a wonderful patience and appreciation is born. I couldn't have picked a guest vexed with the ambiance on that seventh fairway of the evening, Saturday the 15th of February 2014.

Pleasurable food for pleasurable people on a pleasurable South Australian Peninsula.

A Gravity Infusion

About Me

Parachilna wet

Tullah Estate Basket Press Grenache

Experimenting with natural and additional yeast with a small grab of fruit from David Swan's 60 year old Grenache vines in Blewitt Springs.

I suggest this

McLaren Vale Winemaker Rose Kentish has crafted this magnificent, full bodied Vermentinu in France on her annual voyage.Incredibly full and lengthy. A little different to the Vermentino we find from the Australian producer.As the vines have a ripe age of 70 years - rather than the young toddler Aussies we find in our neck of the woods.

ULITHORNE Vermentinu

Discovered

Waiheke Island Olives

The coastal walk from Oneroa village to the ferry took a 8 km undulating hike through groves of olives and chardonnay vines, stretching to the edges of a rugged coast. Set us up perfectly for a glass of Chardy at the Oyster Inn on completion of our thigh burning sight seeing.